Passage switching valve and refrigerator having the same

ABSTRACT

A passage switching valve for maintaining a plurality of outlet ports to be opened and for uniformly distributing a fluid to the outlet ports and a refrigerator employing the same are disclosed. The passage switching valve includes a housing having an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports, an opening and closing member for opening and closing the outlet ports, and a driving device for operating the opening and closing member. The outlet ports are provided in a lower position than the inlet port. A collecting portion is formed by providing a recess in the bottom portion of the housing such that a fluid can be collected and the outlet ports are formed in the collecting portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.2006-0030165, filed Apr. 3, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual PropertyOffice, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a passage switching valve and arefrigerator employing the same, and more particularly, to a passageswitching valve for uniformly distributing a fluid to a plurality ofoutlet ports and a refrigerator employing the same.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, a passage switching valve is commonly used for changing oropening and closing a refrigerant passage in a refrigerator or an airconditioner. For example, the passage switching valve may be used whenrefrigerant is selectively supplied to any one of evaporators or issupplied to all evaporators in a refrigerator including a plurality ofthe evaporators.

A passage switching valve employed in a refrigerator is disclosed inKorean Patent Publication No. 2004-4063 (published on Jan. 13, 2004).The passage switching valve includes a sealed case and a valve seatplate coupled with the lower side of the sealed case. The valve seatplate includes an inlet port, through which a refrigerant is introduced,formed in one side thereof and first and second outlet ports, throughwhich the refrigerant is discharged, formed in the other side thereof.Valve bodies are installed to be rotated by a step motor in the firstand second outlet ports to open and close the outlet ports. Thus, thepassage switching valve opens any or all of the two outlet ports orcloses all of the two outlet ports by the rotation of the valve body.

However, in the passage switching valve, when the first and secondoutlet ports are opened so that the refrigerant flows to the two outletports, since the refrigerant is concentrated more to one of the outletports than the other, the refrigerant is not uniformly distributed tothe outlet ports. This is because the height of the inlet port issimilar to the height of the two outlet ports so that some of the liquidrefrigerant is concentrated more to one side than the other whileflowing from the inlet port to the outlet ports along the inner surfaceof the valve seat plate.

In the case where the passage switching valve is even slightly inclinedwhen the passage switching valve is mounted, difference in heightbetween the outlet ports is generated so that the problem may becomeserious.

Thus, in order to cause the refrigerant to uniformly flow to the firstand second outlet ports, the first and second outlet ports arealternately opened and closed for a predetermined time period so thatthe mean flow rate of the refrigerant that flows to the first and secondoutlet ports are equal to each other. However, in such a method, sincethe step motor is to be continuously operated in order to alternatelyopen and close the first and second outlet ports, energy loss is largeand the lifespan of the step motor may be shortened.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentionedproblems, and an aspect of the invention is to provide a passageswitching valve for maintaining a plurality of outlet ports to be openedand for uniformly distributing a fluid to the outlet ports and arefrigerator employing the same.

In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a passageswitching valve including a housing having an inlet port and a pluralityof outlet ports, an opening and closing member for opening and closingthe outlet port, and a driving device for operating the opening andclosing member, wherein the outlet ports are provided in a lowerposition than the inlet port.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the housingincludes a collecting portion formed by providing a recess in the valveplate to collect a fluid, and the outlet ports are formed in thecollecting portion.

Additionally, the opening and closing member comprises a closing partentering the collecting portion to closely contact and be spaced apartfrom the outlet ports according to the rotation, and the driving devicecomprises a step motor for rotating the opening and closing memberforwardly and reversely.

Moreover, the opening and closing member has an approximate cone shape,and the closing part protruded from the outer surface of the opening andclosing member to closely contact the inner surface of the collectingportion and having a length in the rotation direction longer than adistance between the outlet ports and a vertical width greater than adiameter of the outlet ports.

The outlet ports are formed at the same height and are arranged near toeach other.

The inner wall of the housing is inclined such that the fluid flows downfrom the inlet port to the outlet ports.

The housing includes a casing having an opened lower side, and a valveplate for closing the opened lower side of the casing, wherein the inletport and the outlet ports are formed in the valve plate.

In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides arefrigerator including a plurality of compartments, a plurality ofevaporators for refrigerating the respective compartments, and a passageswitching valve for controlling the supply of a refrigerant to theevaporators. The passage switching valve includes a housing having aninlet port and a plurality of outlet ports, an opening and closingmember for opening and closing the outlet ports, and a driving devicefor operating the opening and closing member, wherein the outlet portsare disposed in a lower position than the inlet port.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent and more readily appreciated from the following description ofthe embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 illustrates a refrigerating unit of a refrigerator employing apassage switching valve according to a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a passage switching valveaccording to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an inlet port and first and second outlet ports ofthe passage switching valve according to the first preferred embodimentof the present invention;

FIGS. 4A to 4D are sectional views taken along the line IV-IV′ in FIG.2, which illustrate the opening and closing states of the first andsecond outlet ports;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an opening and closing memberof the passage switching valve according to the first preferredembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a passage switching valveaccording to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an opening and closing memberof the passage switching valve according to the second preferredembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating a passage switching valveaccording to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the presentinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. The embodiments are described below to explain the presentinvention by referring to the figures.

As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator employing a passage switching valveaccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes afirst compartment 1 and a second compartment 2 partitioned from eachother, and a refrigerating unit for refrigerating the first and secondcompartments 1 and 2.

The refrigerating unit includes a first evaporator 3 and a secondevaporator 4 for refrigerating the first and second compartments 1 and2, respectively, a compressor 5 for compressing a refrigerant passingthrough the evaporators 3 and 4, a condenser 6 for condensing therefrigerant passing through the compressor 5, and a passage switchingvalve 20 for converting refrigerating passages such that the refrigerantpassing through the condenser 6 is supplied to any one or all of thefirst and second evaporators 3 and 4. The refrigerating unit furtherincludes a first capillary tube 9 installed in a first pipe 7 betweenthe passage switching valve 20 and the first evaporator 3 and a secondcapillary tube 10 installed in a second pipe 8 between the passageswitching valve 20 and the second evaporator 4.

The refrigerating unit supplies the refrigerant to any one or all of thefirst and second evaporators 3 and 4 using the passage switching valve20 so that any one or all of the compartments 1 and 2 may berefrigerated.

FIG. 2 illustrates the passage switching valve according to a firstpreferred embodiment of the present invention. The passage switchingvalve 20 includes a cylindrical casing 21 having an opened lower sideand a housing having a valve plate 22 coupled with the opened lower sideof the casing 21. Thus, a sealed passage switching space 23 is formed inthe housing. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4A, the valve plate 22 has an inletport 25, formed in one side, through which the refrigerant is introducedinto the passage switching space 23, and first and second outlet ports26 and 27, formed in the other side, through which the refrigerant isdischarged. The first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 are respectivelyconnected to first and second pipes 7 and 8 for guiding the refrigerantto the first and second evaporators 3 and 4.

The passage switching valve 20 includes an opening and closing member 30installed to rotate so that at least one of the first and second outletports 26 and 27 is opened or closed by the rotation of the opening andclosing member 30, a step motor 40 for rotating the opening and closingmember 30 forward and reverse, and a driving gear 51 and a driven gear52 installed in the passage switching space 23 to reduce the rotationspeed of the step motor 40 and to transmit the rotation force of thestep motor 40 to the opening and closing member 30.

The step motor 40 includes a rotor 41 installed to rotate in the casing21 and a coil assembly 42 installed outside the casing 21. An upper sideof a shaft 43 for supporting the rotor 41 is supported, to rotate, bythe casing 21 a and the lower side of the shaft 43 is supported, torotate, by the valve plate 22. The step motor 40 rotates the rotor 41 tooperate the opening and closing member 30 when electric power is appliedto the coil assembly 42 by a refrigerator controller (not shown).

The driving gear 51 is coupled with the shaft 43 of the step motor 40and the driven gear 52 is integrally formed with the opening and closingmember 30 for opening and closing the first and second outlet ports 26and 27. The opening and closing member 30 integrally formed with thedriven gear is supported, to rotate, by a shaft 29 fixed to the valveplate 22. The driving gear 51 is smaller than the driven gear 52. Thisis to reduce the rotation speed of the opening and closing member 30.

Inside the valve plate 22 where the opening and closing member 30 isinstalled, as shown in FIG. 2, a collecting portion 60 is formed byproviding a recess in the valve plate 22 such that a refrigerant liquidin the passage switching space 23 is collected. The first and secondoutlet ports 26 and 27 are formed in the collecting portion 60.Furthermore, it is preferable that the first and second outlet ports 26and 27 are disposed in a lower position than the inlet port 25 such thatthe refrigerant can easily flow from the inlet port 25 to the outletports 26 and 27. However, as long as the outlet ports 26 and 27 arepositioned to receive refrigerant from the collecting portion 60, whichmay be disposed in a position higher than the inlet port 25, the outletports 26 and 27 also may be disposed in a position higher than the inletport 25.

Moreover, the refrigerant liquid is collected in the collecting portion60 and flows to the outlet ports 26 and 27 so that the refrigerant canbe uniformly distributed into the outlet ports 26 and 27.

The collecting portion 60 has a cone-shape such that the refrigerant iseasily collected, and the opening and closing member 30 installed in thecollecting portion 60, as shown in FIG. 5, has a cone-shape.

The cone-shaped outer circumference of the opening and closing member30, as shown in FIG. 5, is spaced apart from the inner wall of thecollecting portion 60 and is provided with a closing part 32 closelycontacting and being separated from the first and second outlet ports 26and 27 to open and close the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27according to the rotation of the opening and closing member 30. Theclosing part 32, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 5, protrudes from the outersurface of the opening and closing member 30 to closely contact theinner wall of the collecting portion 60, and has a length in therotation direction longer than the distance between the outlet ports 26and 27. Moreover, the closing part 32 has a vertical width greater thana diameter of the outlet ports 26 and 27. This is for the closing part32 to close at least one of the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27or to open all of the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27.

The shape of the collecting portion 60 may be formed with various shapesand sizes and furthermore may be disposed in a position higher than theinlet port. Additionally, the collecting portion 60 may not be formed inthe valve plate 22 at all, and in this case, the valve plate 22 wouldhave a flat surface and the outlet ports 26 and 27 would be formed onthe flat surface of the valve plate 22 with the corresponding closingpart 32 similar to the structure described above. And in this case,since the outlet ports are provided on the bottom portion of the passageswitching space 23, the refrigerant may be distributed uniformly.

Thus, in the passage switching valve 20, as shown in FIG. 4A, theclosing part 32 closes the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27 inthe initial state to block the refrigerant flowing to the outlet ports26 and 27, and as shown in FIG. 4B, the opening and closing member 30rotates such that the closing part 32 opens the first outlet port 26 andcloses the second outlet port 27 to make the refrigerant flow only tothe first outlet port 26. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4C, the opening andclosing member 30 rotates such that the closing part 32 opens all of thefirst and second outlet ports 26 and 27 so that the refrigerant flows tothe first and second outlet ports 26 and 27, and as shown in FIG. 4D,the opening and closing member 30 rotates such that the closing part 32closes the first outlet port 26 and opens the second outlet port 27 sothat the refrigerant flows only to the second outlet port 27.

In this preferred embodiment, the outlet ports 26 and 27 are positionedlower than the inlet port 25, as shown in FIG. 4C, when all of the firstand second outlet ports 26 and 27 are opened, the refrigerant liquidflowing along the inner wall of the valve plate 22 may be guided to theoutlet ports 26 and 27. Thus, according to the present invention, therefrigerant can be uniformly distributed into the outlet ports 26 and 27while maintaining the step motor 40 in a stopped state when the outletports 26 and 27 are opened.

Particularly, according to the present invention, since the refrigerantliquid is collected in the collecting portion 60 and flows to the outletports 26 and 27 again, the refrigerant can be distributed into theoutlet ports 26 and 27 more uniformly. In order to uniformly distributethe refrigerant, preferably, the first and second outlet ports 26 and 27are formed near to each other at the same height.

Meanwhile, although in the above-mentioned preferred embodiments, thepassage switching valve 20 having two outlet ports has been described,the passage switching valve is not limited to this structure. Thepassage switching valve according to the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention may have three or more outlet ports to be employed ina collecting portion including three or more evaporators. In otherwords, three or more outlet ports may be formed in the collectingportion to be opened and closed by the opening and closing member.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a passage switching valve according to a secondpreferred embodiment of the present invention. In the second preferredembodiment of the present invention, a cylindrical collecting portion600 is formed in the valve plate 22, and a plurality of outlet ports 260and 270 is at the bottom of the collecting portion 600. An opening andclosing member 300 has a cylindrical shape, and in the lower side of theopening member 300, as shown in FIG. 7, in order to open and close theoutlet ports 260 and 270, a closing part 310 closely contacting thebottom of the collecting portion 600 and a spacer 320 spaced apart fromthe bottom of the collecting portion 600 are provided. Other componentsare identical to those in the first preferred embodiment of the presentinvention. In the second preferred embodiment of the present invention,since the outlet ports 260 and 270 are lower than the inlet port 25 andthe refrigerant liquid discharged through the outlet ports 260 and 270is collected in the collecting portion 600, the refrigerant can beuniformly distributed into the outlet ports 260 and 270.

FIG. 8 illustrates a passage switching valve according to a thirdpreferred embodiment of the present invention. In the third preferredembodiment of the present invention, the inner wall 220 of the valveplate 22 is inclined at a predetermined angle θ such that therefrigerant easily flows down from the inlet port 25 to the outlet ports26 and 27. Other components are identical to those in the firstpreferred embodiment of the present invention. Thus, in the thirdpreferred embodiment of the present invention, since the refrigerantliquid flowing from the inlet port 25 to the outlet ports 26 and 27 iseasily collected into the collecting portion 60, the refrigerant can bedistributed more uniformly.

According to the above explained preferred embodiment of the passageswitching valve, since a plurality of outlet ports is positioned lowerthan the inlet port such that the refrigerant liquid flows to the outletports and is collected, the refrigerant is uniformly distributed intothe outlet ports.

Moreover, according to the above explained preferred embodiment, sincethe collecting portion is provided at a place lower than the inlet portand the outlet ports are provided in the collecting portion so that thefluid in the passage switching valve is collected in the collectingportion and is distributed into the outlet ports again, the refrigerantis uniformly distributed into the outlet ports. Furthermore, since thecollecting portion has a cone-shape, the fluid is guided to the outletports.

Since the refrigerant can be uniformly distributed even when the openingand closing member is maintained stopped in a state of opening theoutlet ports, the motor can be controlled more simply than theconventional art so that the lifespan of the motor can be prolonged.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in this embodiment without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined inthe claims and their equivalents.

1. A passage switching valve comprising: a housing having an inlet portand a plurality of outlet ports; an opening and closing member foropening and closing the outlet ports; and a driving device for operatingthe opening and closing member; wherein the outlet ports are provided ina lower position than the inlet port.
 2. The passage switching valveaccording to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a collecting portionformed by providing a recess in the direction lower than the inlet portto collect a fluid, and the outlet ports are formed in the collectingportion.
 3. The passage switching valve according to claim 2, whereinthe opening and closing member comprises a closing part entering thecollecting portion to closely contact and be spaced apart from theoutlet ports according to the rotation, and the driving device comprisesa step motor for rotating the opening and closing member forwardly andreversely.
 4. The passage switching valve according to claims 1 or 2,wherein the inner wall of the housing is inclined such that the fluidflows down from the inlet port to the outlet ports.
 5. The refrigeratorcomprising: a plurality of compartments; a plurality of evaporators forrefrigerating the respective compartments; and a passage switching valvefor controlling the supply of a refrigerant to the evaporators; whereinthe passage switching valve comprises: a housing having an inlet portand a plurality of outlet ports; an opening and closing member foropening and closing the outlet ports; and a driving device for operatingthe opening and closing member, wherein the outlet ports are provided ina lower position than the inlet port.
 6. The refrigerator according toclaim 5, wherein the housing comprises a collecting portion formed byproviding a recess in the direction lower than the inlet port to collecta fluid, and the outlet ports are formed in the collecting portion. 7.The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the opening and closingmember comprises a closing part entering the collecting portion toclosely contact and be spaced apart from the outlet ports according tothe rotation, and the driving device comprises a step motor for rotatingthe opening and closing member forwardly and reversely.
 8. Therefrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the refrigerator has anapproximate cone shape, and the closing part protruded from the outersurface of the opening and closing member to closely contact the innersurface of the collecting portion and having a length in the rotationdirection longer than a distance between the outlet ports and a verticalwidth greater than a diameter of the outlet ports.
 9. The refrigeratoraccording to claim 5, wherein the housing comprises: a casing having anopened lower side; and a valve plate for closing the opened lower sideof the casing, wherein the inlet port and the outlet ports are formed inthe valve plate.
 10. A passage switching valve comprising: a housinghaving an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports; an opening andclosing member for opening and closing the outlet ports; and a drivingdevice for operating the opening and closing member; wherein the housingcomprises a collecting portion for collecting a refrigerant, and theoutlet ports are formed in the collecting portion.
 11. The passageswitching valve according to claim 10, wherein the outlet ports areprovided in a lower position than the inlet port.
 12. The passageswitching valve according to claim 11, wherein the opening and closingmember comprises a closing part entering the collecting portion toclosely contact and be spaced apart from the outlet ports according tothe rotation, and the driving device comprises a step motor for rotatingthe opening and closing member forwardly and reversely.
 13. The passageswitching valve according to claim 10, wherein the collecting portion isformed as a cone shape.
 14. The passage switching valve according toclaim 10, wherein the collecting portion is formed as a cylindricalshape.
 15. The passage switching valve according to claim 10, whereinthe collecting portion is formed by providing a recess in the bottomportion of the housing.
 16. The passage switching valve according toclaim 10, wherein the opening and closing member is capable ofselectively opens and closes the plurality of outlet ports.
 17. Thepassage switching valve according to claim 16, wherein the opening andclosing member is capable of either opening or closing all of theplurality of outlet ports.
 18. The passage switching valve according toclaim 10, wherein the bottom portion of the housing is inclined.
 19. Thepassage switching valve according to claim 18, wherein the opening andclosing part comprises of a closing part for closing the outlet ports.20. The passage switching valve according to claim 19, wherein theclosing part has a length in the rotational direction to be greater thanthe distance between the outlet ports.
 21. The passage switching valveaccording to claim 20, wherein the closing part has a width that isgreater than the diameter of the outlet ports.